Roundabout



Patented Atipa'. 14, 1931 CLIFFORD L. KEDDY, 0F LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS nounminou'rl Application filed January 7, 1929.` Serial No. 330,949.

My invention relates to amusement apparatus, particularly roundabouts or merry-go rounds, and it has for its object. to provide an improved apparatus of 'this class.

6 Roundabounts are constructed with a passengencarrying element or rotor structure that is actuated to convey or move the passengers in a circular path around the axis thereof, but in all of the constructions here tofore proposed, so tar as I am aware, the only motion imparted to this passcnger-carrylng element as a whole has been the rotary motion referred to.

My invention provides a roundabout amusement apparatus wherein the passengercarrying structure is rotated as with the apparatus heretofore proposed, but which 1s so constructed and operated that said rotor structure can be, or is, also raised and low ered, and this is a distinguishing and characterizing feature of my invention in whatever torni it may be embodied. f

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of a roundabout constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2 2 of F ig. l. i

Figure 3 illustrates another structure einbodying my invention.

The term ci my invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a vertically disposed cylinder 1G the lower portion ol which is buried in the ground G and the lower end ot which is bolted to a flanged head 11 seated upon a concrete foundation 12 to which it may be anchored in any suitable fashion.

rlhis cylinder 1G occupies a position at the middle of a circular' bowl 13 built up from concrete and formed at its'middle with an elevation or pedestal let that serves as a support :tor a platform 15. The platform 15 is made upon its top side with a circular runway for a series of conical rollers 16 on which rests a tlange 17 provided at the lower end of a sleeve 18 surrounding the upper portion oi' cylinder 10 and journaled near its upper and lower ends on bearings provided upon the exterior of the latter, said lange being 22 fast on the armature shaft of an electric y motor 23, said motor being mounted upon a stand 2a which, in turn, is mounted on the platiform15-` Within the cylinder 10 is a piston 25 having a stem 26 extending upwardly from its top end to a point well above the upper end of the sleeve 18 where it has mounted upon it a collar 27 to which are connected the inner ends of a plurality or stays 28. At its outer end each stay 28 is fastened to the outer end of a radially disposed rigid arm 29, and the inner ends of all of these arms are securely fastened to a collar 30 mounted upon the stem 26 in aposition above sleeve 18 and pinned or otherwise rigidly fixed lto said stem.

The stem 26 is, as shown in Fig. 2, made exteriorly hexagonal in shape and extends loosely through a correspondingly shaped hole provided at the upper end of sleeve 18,

so that the rotary motion imparted to sleeve 18 will be transmitted to the stem 26 and at the same time the latter is free to move up and down Within the hexagonal hole of the sleeve.

The'lower end of the cylinder 10 is connected by a conduit 31 with the outlet 32 of a pump 33 whose inlet 34E has connected with it one end oi the conduit35 whose opposite end is submerged in the body ot water W within bowl 13. At a predetermined distance above the lower end thereof the cylinder 10 is made `with an outlet with `which is connected one end of a conduit 36 that discharges at its opposite end into bowl 13.

rl`he pump 33 is driven by an electric motor 3T mounted upon platform l5, and it will be clear that when said motor and pump are .in action, water is pumped from bowl 13 through conduit 35; pump 33 and conduit 31 into the cylinder l0 at the lower end thereof,

thus forcing the piston 25 and stem26 upwardly, and it will also be clear that upward movement of the piston and stem willbe arrested automatically as soon as the piston, in moving upward, uncovers the outlet with which the conduit 36 is connected. Vlien this occurs the water thereafter is discharged from the cylinder through conduit 36 as fast as it is delivered into the cylinder by pump 33, the piston remaining stationary, so far as endwise movement is concerned, at the 'limit of itsupward movement. lt will also be clear that the piston" willreniain supported in this elevated position by the water even though the pump'?) bestopped.`

kConnected at itsopposite endsfwith the conduits 3l and 35, respectively, isa by-pass conduit in whichis varranged a normally closed valve 39, and when it is desired to lower the piston 25 from its elevated position, pump 33 being at rest, the valve 39 is manually opened by means of its handle, whereupon the weight of the piston and parts carrie'd by it lowers the same, the water in front, or below, the pistonbeing forced from cylinder lO through conduit 8l, by-pass 38 and conduit 35 back into 'the bowl 13.

ing its'descent as may be desired.

The upperends of a plurality of cables l0 are attached to the outer ends of the arms,

two to each arm, Vand there are a number of pairsA of these cables whereof the lower ends of each pair are fastened to the opposite ends of a boat 41 which may be supported by the water W when the piston and its stemare at the limitv o-f their downward movement. Upon the inside of each of these boats may be .provided seats, not shown, for the Ypassengers; y .A

While the apparatus is at rest Vand the boats 4l are in their lowermostpositions, the

passengers areV loaded into the same from the embankment 42 at the outside of the bowl 13,

and when loaded the motor 23 i'sstarted and operates through lthe pinion .22, 'gear 211 and pinion 2() to rotate/sleeve 18 which transmits its rotary motion to the stein'26 and parts carried thereby, thus moving the boats through the water in a circular path.- rThen, at any time after the rotor ofthe ap` paratus is in motion, pump 33 may be started, whereupon the rotor with itsboats is raised to the limit of the movement of piston 25, or toany other desired height underA said limit. Or the motor 37 Vwhich drives the pump 33 may be started first and thereafter the motor 23. i i i It will be noted that thepiston issup? ported in its elevated position by a liuid bearing so that very little frictional resistance is offered thereby toV itsjrotation.

Heretofore, roundabouts having pendant p By meansV of valve 39 the speed of downward movement of piston 25 may be regulated thereby timcarriages for the passengers have been so constructed that said carriages were perfmanently maintained in'positions well elevated above the ground, and therefor it has been necessary to provide in connection therewith a correspondingly elevated stationary platform leading to the same, for use inloading and unloading the passengers. My invention dispenses with the platform and stairway heretoforerequired; it provides an apparatus which can beloaded and unloaded with rapidity; it combines travel on a pond with flight through the .ra-ir, and the variety fof movements imparted to the'rotor makes my apparatus more attractive to patrons than Ithis heretofore provided.

As shown in Fig. 3,:the bowl 13 may be dispensed with and Ythe platform yl5 Varranged upon the same-level as the ground G. With this form of my invention I may provide a tankll?) holdinga supply of water with which theoutletof cylinder l0 is connectedby a return conduit 86a, while the supply conduit 35 is extended downwardly inte said tanlr'to supply water tothe pump.. y Y

lMy invent-ion is not limitedto the particu"- lar means herein shown for-supplying fluid under pressure to the cylinder lO-to-raise piston 25, and any other suitable means maybe substituted. Also, the upper portion of the l rotor of the'apparatus by which 4the passengers are carried may be `modified as desired.- What I claim is :v

l. An amusement apparatu-softhe cliaracter described having, in combination, a passenger-carrying rotor element yprovided at its middle with a lvertical stem having a piston adjacent its lower end; astationarily' supite ported vertically 'disposed cylinder within which said piston is arranged, said'cylinder being closed at its lowerend-andfpr'ovided fwith'a'n inlet 'port yadjacent said closed lower end and with an outlet port intermediate its opposite ends ythat is positioned a predetermined distanceabove said inlet port; a power operated pump having its outletconnected with the inlet of said'cylinder, and-means'for turning said rotor element. l Y, .n j 2. An amusement apparatus of tlie'charac-- ter described having, iii'combination,apas' f senger-carrying rotor eleinentprovid'ed atl its adjacent its lower end; vastationarily supmiddle with a vertical stem having a'pi's'ton j ported verticallyV disposed cylinder rwithin which said piston is arranged, said cylinder being closed at its lower end and provided with an inlet port'adjacent saidclosed lower Vend and with an outlet port intermediate its;

opposite ends that isy positioned a predetermined distance above said inletport ga power operated pump havingits outlet connected with the inlet ofvsaid cylinder; a 'reservoir' with which the inlet of `saidvpump and fthe outlet of saidV cylinder are connected, and;

means for turning said rotor element. f

3. An amusement apparatus of the character described constructed in acordance with claim l wherein the rotor element is equipped with pendant boats and wherein said reser- Voir is an artificial lake surrounding said cylinder on which said boats rest when said rotor element occupies its lowermost position.

4. An amusement apparatus of the character described constructed in accordance with claim 2 wherein there is also provided a bypass extending around said pump one end of which communicates with the outlet of said pump and the other end of which communicates with the inlet of said pump, and a Valve in said bypass operable to effect upward and downward movement of said piston.

5. An amusement apparatus of the character described having, in combination, a pas- Sengerbarrying rotor element provided at its middle with a vertical stem having a piston at its lower end; a cylinder supported in a vertical position and within which said piston is arranged; means for rotating said element; means for supplying fluid under pressure to said cylinder adjacent its lower end to raise said piston and said element; means for `exhausting said Huid from said cylinder to lower said piston and element, said cylinder being made with an outlet port that is uncovered by the piston during its upward movement to stop said upward movement when the piston reaches a predetermined height.

Signed by me at Boston, Suffolk County,

" Massachusetts, this 4th day of January, 1929.

CLIFFORD L. KEDDY. 

